Ahmedabad's Public Urination Crackdown: Civic Nuisance or Crime?

Ahmedabad police have intensified action against public urination, booking 15 men since November 19 as part of a 30-day drive focused on women's safety. This crackdown, utilizing sections of the Gujarat Police Act related to indecent behavior and public nuisance, aims to reclaim public spaces. However, legal and activist communities express concern, arguing that public urination, while a civic issue, should not be equated with sexual offenses or harassment.

The initiative, spearheaded by the crime branch's women's cell, has raised debates about the application of law. Critics like Jharna Pathak of the Ahmedabad Women's Action Group emphasize that public urination is a behavioral problem requiring correction, not criminalization akin to flashing or sexual harassment. Advocate Ajj H Murjani points out the legal contention in invoking criminal provisions when the act is already a minor civic offense punishable by a Rs 100 fine from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

This intensified enforcement occurs against a backdrop of significant infrastructure deficit. Ahmedabad, with a population of 80 lakh, provides merely 289 pay-and-use and 165 community toilets, resulting in one toilet for approximately 18,000 residents. The drive, which began on November 19, has also seen 29 other men booked for obscene language and public disturbance, underscoring a broader effort to address behaviors deemed disturbing by women in public spaces.